Like Father, Like Daughter
by The-Time-Travelling-Hippie
Summary: When a teenage girl turns up on their doorstep, the A-Team are shocked to find that she's one of their estranged offspring! Could one young, broken female change each of their lives forever? AU. Chapter 10 up!
1. Sweltering Surprises

**(A/N): I've had this idea for quite a long time, hope you enjoy it. 'Dolphin Bay' is just a little thing that popped into my head, I don't know if it exists or not. **  
**Disclaimer: I own Nada.**

**_LIKE FATHER, LIKE DAUGHTER_**

* * *

It was a glorious day at 'Dolphin Bay', Los Angeles, the air still like a kiln. The calming sounds of the sea throwing itself at sharp rocks waded in Face's ears. He smiled with delight. In his right hand, a nice glass of ice tea, in his left, a newspaper. This was the life; sun, sand and relaxation. The house he had scammed was airy and warm with all the windows open, just right. B.A was busy tinkering with the van somewhere, Murdock was at the VA and Hannibal was shopping for cigars, but right now, it didn't really matter to him. He watched the white, cotton-candy clouds roll lazily by out from the deck. No missions yet, he had to enjoy this break while he could. He didn't know when they had to run from Decker, he wasn't even prepared, and frankly he didn't care.  
'_Ignorance is bliss,_' he thought to himself.  
He wiped away a bead of sweat that trickled down his forehead. Boy, was it hot. He hadn't seen a day like this in weeks. He was almost sweltering, almost. He was too darn lucky to complain. No dodging bullets, no threats from gold wearing giants, no Murdock being, well...Murdock.

Face deserved this, he'd worked hard.

Slowly but surely, the heat was getting to him. The conman found himself dozing off but he snapped himself awake. When was Hannibal going to come back? He only went out for his usual smokes an hour ago, it shouldn't of took him this long to buy them. He eyed the clock; 3:00 pm. Maybe B.A knew when the Colonel would return. He heaved himself from his seat and dragged his heavy feet to the garage. B.A was too busy tweaking and soothing his 'Girl' (as he liked to call it), to notice Face join him.  
"B.A?"  
The muscular man yelled out with surprise and held his wrench tight against his chest.  
"Don't do that to me, man!" he breathed, "Thought you were that crazy fool, Murdock!"  
Face sighed in fatigue. "We dropped Murdock off at the VA yesterday, remember? When do you think Hannibal's coming back?"  
"I don't know, he said somethin' 'bout visitin' the fool in that nut house."  
"Visiting? But, Hannibal hardly ever visits Murdock."  
"I know," B.A replied "But this time he did. He said Murdock was acting a little different, whatever that means."  
"Different how?"  
"Depressed, I heard him say."  
'_Depressed? Murdock's never depressed._' "You sure, B.A?"  
"Look, the man's a loon, I wouldn't be surprised if he was bouncing back and fourth between happy and sad every now and again, it's what crazy people do, Face."  
"Yeah, I guess you're right." He turned to leave.  
"You know," B.A mused "I've never really told anyone this, but...I kinda like Murdock."  
Face did a double take and span back around. Did he have heat stroke? Was he really hearing this? Had he finally lost it?  
"What did you just say?" The Lieutenant asked with a wobbly, unsure voice, a voice coated with disbelief.  
"I mean, he's all right sometimes, he can be pretty funny when he's not talkin' that crazy jibber jabber of his." The Sergeant explained gruffly.  
Face was tongue-tied, shell-shocked, flabbergasted. He began to walk away again but stopped.  
"B.A," he pleaded, "For the sake of my sanity, please, never ever repeat what you have just said around me ever again. Never."  
The mechanic grinned, "I won't,"  
"Thank you."

As he walked back into the living room he heard the doorbell. '_Could it be Decker? Hannibal?_' He thought. Cautiously he looked through the peeping hole, holding his breath. To his relief it wasn't the military or the police, nothing threatening, just a teenage girl. A tall one at that too. To his surprise she was wearing a leather jacket and a beanie, no traces of perspiration on her at all. Her piercing, baby blue eyes glanced nervously around the edges of the door and had desperation spiraling inside of them. She had a mousy brown fringe falling messily out of the front of her hat but the rest of her hair was tucked away. She looked awfully pale and neurotic for a girl her age. Her beautiful eyes were worn down by deep, mauve bags, spelling many sleepless nights.

He opened the door, before he got completely lost in thought, and gave her a warm smile.  
"Can I help you?" He asked.  
"Sorry to bother you, but I'm looking for someone. His name is H.M Murdock." She held up a picture of him smiling wildly at the camera. "Have you seen him?"  
Face was a bit taken back. '_Why is this girl looking for Murdock?_'. "May I ask why?"  
"Well, you see, I've been going from house to house asking people if they've seen him, so far I've had no luck but I heard that he lives somewhere in Los Angeles so I came down here." She inhaled deeply. "I'm his daughter."  
"WHAT?!" The conman exclaimed, hysterical. The girl jolted back from his outburst and coward slightly.  
"I-I'm sorry, I'll go if you want me to-"  
"No! Wait, stay right there, I'll be back in a second."  
He ran as fast as he could to the garage, still in a frenzy, and dragged B.A to the front door.  
"What is it? What's goin' on?"  
"This...is...Murdock's...d-daughter..." He panted, signalling to the girl. She smiled humbly.

B.A's body made a loud thump when it hit the floor. Both the Lieutenant and the teenager stared at the burly Sergeant in shock. He didn't usually faint without them drugging him first...

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**(A/N): I know it's short but I thought it would be best to end this first chapter here. Think of it as an…. introduction of some kind? Anyway, thanks for reading and tell me what you thought by a review!**


	2. The Girl Named Muro

**Disclaimer: Nothing you recognize is owned by me. Sorry 'bout that.**

**(A/N): So, hopefully you all enjoyed the first chapter. I certainly did. Here's the second instalment of...**

_**LIKE FATHER, LIKE DAUGHTER**_

* * *

B.A wasn't shocked.

He was beyond it.

Murdock had a daughter?! How was that even possible? Murdock wasn't the type of guy to have one-night stands with strange women and never even bother to contact them ever again. That was Face.

He didn't really believe it; he couldn't believe it, it was too insane to be true. Although this was Murdock, so anything was possible when it involved that nut job. No, it wasn't true, he was getting played big time. It was all a wind up.

Right?

When he opened his eyes he was lying on a leather couch that had been exposed to the deathly hot sun for far too long. He tried to sit up but his skin was glued to the fibres of the seat.

"Oh good, you're awake."

Face had appeared in the doorway, he was perspiration central right now. The Mechanic sensed he was nervous but he couldn't fully read his mixed expression.

"What happened, man?" His head felt like there were daggers drilling themselves through his skull. He swung his legs over the side of the sofa. The Lieutenant twiddled with his thumbs, his showing anxiety clearly expanding. Leaning against the dining table, he lied through his teeth.

"You probably passed out from the heat,"

B.A nodded and managed a chuckle that caught the Conman's attention, "What is it?"

"I had this crazy dream that the fool had a daughter,"

Face gulped.

"Well...well y-you see," He began cautiously, "It...w-wasn't really a dream..."

The Sergeant did a double take and shot up, his skin tearing off the material like Velcro. "What'chu talkin' 'bout, sucka?"

Face, now back in the doorway, his clammy palms held up in a surrendering manner, braced himself for the end. "He... Murdock _has_ a daughter!"

The Mechanic exploded. "WHY YOU LYIN' TO ME, FOOL?"

Peck raised his hands up to his Face as protection. "NO, I'm not lying! Please...please don't kill me." He begged.

"What's going on here?"

That voice was higher, more feminine than the other angry, deep ones. It was laced with confusion and a slight hint of humour. They turned towards it and quietened like children caught stealing cookies. "Why don't you sit down?" Face offered awkwardly. She did and looked up at the looming men above her.

"So, where's my dad?" She asked.

It was a hard topic all together to begin with. How could you tell a random girl that her supposed father was locked up in a psych ward and had been for ten years? They couldn't possibly explain everything to her by themselves, they'd need Hannibal, Murdock especially. They'd just have to start slowly.

"He's not here right now,"

"Well then where is he?"

This girl was not going to give up and Face knew it. She might not even be Murdock's daughter, she could be working for Decker.

"Hey little sis, what's ya' name?"

"Holly, Marie, Muro." She didn't seem at all put off by the burly stranger, in fact, she looked more fondly of him than the Conman.

"Muro?" Face remarked sceptically.

"You betcha', Muchacho. Muro." She repeated. Okay, she was definitely Murdock's daughter. "Anywho, where's my old man?" Holly pressed.

"Well...you see-"

"He's in jail, ain't he?"

"No, no, he's...uh..." Face looked to B.A for help.

"Your dad's in the nut house."

_'Nice, B.A, way to be subtle.'_ Peck thought.

"What? Really? Why?" She gasped, her unusually bright eyes widening with shock.

Oh great, another impossible thing they'd have to try and explain. "It's a long story, too long for _us _to tell it to you anyway. Hold on a sec." The Lieutenant left the room and went over to the telephone; he _had _to call Hannibal. With any luck he'd be on his way back soon but Faceman couldn't wait any longer. "Come on, come on, pick up." He begged down the phone.

"Hello, VA psychiatric hospital,"

Using his best worried voice, he made it seem like he desperately needed someone to talk to. "Yes, hello, is it possible for me to speak to a distant relative of mine? His name is H.M Murdock, he's a patient."

"He's with a visitor in the recreation room right now, but I'm sure he can talk for a minute. Hold on" She said. The Conman found himself sighing with relief as he heard the phone rattling around, presuming it was being taken somewhere else. "Mr Murdock, a relative of yours wants to talk to you, he sounds very upset." Was what he heard from down the phone.

"Hello?" A dull, tired voice drained slowly into his ears.

"Murdock? Is that you?" The Lieutenant couldn't recognize the melancholy tone easily. He wasn't really that used to this type of Pilot.

"Yeah, it's me." The short replies were starting to reach his concern.

"Murdock, is Hannibal with you?"

"Yeah,"

"Can I talk to him?"

"Okay." A few more rattles and then Hannibal came on the line.

"What's up, Face?"

"You _**need**_ to come back _**right**_ now." He commanded drastically.

Suddenly, the Colonels voice went a decibel lower, so as not to be heard. "What's going on, Lieutenant?"

"I can't tell you over the phone, get back here ASAP."

"I'll be back soon." Said Hannibal. More rattling. Murdock was back in possession of the telephone.

"What's going on, Faceman?" He drawled.

"Everything's fine, buddy. B.A has just had a little mishap with a door-to-door salesman and now the salesman's unconscious. We'll see you soon, all right?" He quickly spun a lie off the tip of his tongue.

"M'kay, bye." They both hung up. Murdock did sound depressed, it was scary hearing him like that sometimes.

Too many thoughts were plaguing his mind to focus on that one right now, he had to try and solve the biggest problem at the moment. Walking on brisk, shaky legs, the Conman went back into the living room but was pushed out by B.A. "Face, I'm worried, man."

"Why _wouldn't_ you be?" He sarcastically remarked.

"Look, sucka, Fool's offspring could be in with Decker, we can't trust her."

"Hannibal's on his way, all right, he'll figure this out. Just calm down and play along for now."

"Fine," The Mechanic grunted as they dawdled back into the room.

"So," Face mused, leaning himself against the dining room table, "How did you get all the way down to Dolphin Bay on your own?"

"I was just passing through the area, you know, looking for my dad." She answered, arching an eyebrow and folding her arms tightly across her chest.

Face mentally rolled his eyes. For a young girl, she sure was stubborn. "Isn't your mother going to be worried about where you are?" He asked.

"My mom? Oh don't fret about her, she's probably out getting drunk and hopping into bed with another stranger."

Face felt B.A's apprehensive stare burn through his skin. "Did your mom ever tell you anything about Murdock?"

"Only that he was my dad and that he was a_ sensational_ lover apparently." She grimaced; as did B.A. Face scrutinized her. She _was_ the splitting image of the pilot. The dishevelled, brown hair, the strong jawline, the long, giraffe-like neck. How could Decker find someone so convincing so easily? She tucked her legs up and crossed them. "Who are you guys anyway, and how do you know Murdock?"

The Lieutenant and the Sergeant glanced at each other cautiously, before a single nod from B.A told Face he should explain. "He's a very close friend of ours, we were all in the same unit in Vietnam and-"

"Wait, wait, wait," She interrupted, utterly confused, and by the sounds of it, outraged, "My dad was in a war?!"

"He was a Pilot, an excellent one at that, too. He-"

"Shut up, man, that crazy dude almost got me killed with his damn, reckless flyin'." B.A growled, which received a nervous glance to the Conman from Holly.

"How nutty is this guy?"

"On a scale of one to ten..." Face answered, pausing for thought, "Eleven and a half."

"He's not..._psychotic_ crazy, is he?" She hoped.

"No, no, no, Murdock would never hurt anybody, not unless they deserved it."

"Well, that's okay then."

Face wiped some sweat from his brow and noticed that the teenager didn't even look warm. "Aren't you hot? It's like 98 degrees outside."

She shrugged. "Nope, I'm a little cold actually."

The Sergeant stole a bewildered look at the Lieutenant and walked away, shell shocked.

"Crazy, just like her dad..."

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**(A/N): Reviews are always appreciated!**


	3. Of Pilots And Pills

**(A/N): Been a while since I've updated this cookie, my apologies. **

**Disclaimer: You know I owe nothing! **

_**LIKE FATHER, LIKE DAUGHTER**_

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Holly wanted to find out what her dad had been up to in the war, desperately. Why was he in a mental hospital? Who were these guys?

It felt like that for once in her life she had found some excitement.

Her mom (though she had never acted like one) would always tell her that her supposed dad was the best person she'd ever been with; he must've been drunk out of his mind. Why would any descent, single, sober man want a loving, committed relationship with _that _woman?

So her father was a mentally ill war hero? She winced; she absolutely loathed violence. Maybe that was the reason Murdock got with her mom. He _was _supposed to be a loon.

Her thoughts returned to his past. How many men had he killed while in-country? How many lives had he ended and how many had he saved? And his "friends". They seemed like odd balls too. The huge, black, muscular bulldozer she didn't really seem that threatened by. The attractive, sweaty blonde; he looked like the _least _intimidating guy you'd ever come across. But he had this little twinkle of slyness that glinted menacingly in his blue irises, which made her slightly nervous.

They didn't _look _like crazy veterans. But like her rum-soaked mother had always told her: "Never judge a man by his looks; judge him by the type of wine he gets."

She sighed heavily and prayed to dear God that her father wasn't a mean drunk too.

* * *

"So how have you been coping, Murdock?" Hannibal asked.

The Pilot sighed heavily. "I don't know, Colonel. I've just been feelin' a little down lately."

"And why is that?"

"Doctor Ritcher's been messin' with my medication. Wants ta' see how I do with these new pills. I don't even think they're workin' though."

"Oh really? How do you know that?" questioned the older man.

"If they _were _workin' I wouldn't be feelin' so damn miserable, now would I?" The Southerner drawled.

"Good point." Hannibal admitted, "But why don't you just talk to Doctor Ritcher about swapping your meds and ask for your other ones back?"

"Well I would, but you see that's the problem. There were so many I had to take just to make me my normal ol' self." The silver-haired male rolled his eyes, "But I don't wanna keep taking all them pills, they're annoying and they have weird side effects. But the meds I'm taking now don't do diddly-squat."

Hannibal was just about to reply, but a nurse walked in and handed Murdock a telephone.

"Hello?" Murdock said, "Yeah, it's me, ... yeah, … okay." he handed the Colonel the phone.

"What's up, Face?" He asked.

"_You __**need **__to come back __**right **__now._" The Conman said over the line.

Hannibal lowered his voice so as Murdock didn't hear, "What's going on, Lieutenant?"

"_I can't tell you over the phone, get back here ASAP._"

"I'll be back soon."

The Colonel handed the phone back to the Captain. "What's going on, Faceman?..." He questioned. "...M'kay, bye." He hung up.

After more trivial chatter, Hannibal decided that he had to be getting back. The tone of voice that Face was using made a disturbing thought crawl into the back of his skull. "I have to go now, Murdock. Take care of yourself and don't forget to talk to Doctor Ritcher, all right? We'll be seeing you soon." He said.

With a sloppy salute the Pilot replied, "Don't be too long, Colonel."

* * *

Face was waiting anxiously at the window for Hannibal to return. He felt like he would explode if any more surprises were to come his way. He still couldn't- no wouldn't- believe the fact that Murdock was a father. What would they tell the Captain? _How _would they tell him? What was Hannibal going to say? He couldn't bear it any longer, and when the Colonels car pulled up in the driveway, he zoomed out in front of the vehicle and stopped it with his hands. Hunched over, panting, blonde hair covering his demented-looking expression, he stood.

"Hannibal, come with me." He grumbled through clenched teeth, as the silver-haired man scrutinized him with fearful eyes. The Lieutenant led Hannibal into the living room, where an even more confused Holly sat on the sofa. "Tell him," Face ordered the teenager.

"Uh- hi?" She said.

"Hello," The Colonel replied pleasantly.

"I'm Murdock's daughter, Holly. How do you do?" She stood up and offered her hand.

With shaky hands Hannibal fished a cigar from his pocket and shoved it into his mouth, he shook her hand limply. "Face, I'm gonna go lie down for a while." He whispered, now trembling, and slowly trudged up the stairs, nerves now frazzled.

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**(A/N): Was this chapter good? Bad? I'd love to know, please leave a review and tell me what you think! Thanks for reading. **


	4. Q&A

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything, silly. **

**(A/N): I see some of you were quite confused by Hannibal's reaction last chapter. *Twiddles with fingers* Well, readers, all has purpose in-**

_**LIKE FATHER, LIKE DAUGHTER**_

**(A/N): Hey! Quit interrupting! Ah, well, on with the story. This chapter will have quite a lot of dialogue in it.**

* * *

"What just happened?" Asked a stunned Face.

"I have no idea." B.A answered, even more shocked.

"What is it?" Holly questioned in a puzzled tone.

"Hannibal never reacts like that! Something must be wrong."

"Well wouldn't you be surprised if you discovered that a friend of yours had a kid they didn't even know about?" The teenager remarked.

"She has a point, Face..."

"I'm gonna go check on him,"

The Conman padded up the stairs while Holly scrutinized B.A with a cautious curiosity."Isn't it weird how I don't even care I'm with three strange men, in a house, on the beach, somewhere in LA."

The Sergeant grumbled softly, folding his muscular arm across his bejewelled chest, "I ain't strange,"

"How long does it take you to put all that on?" Holly inquired, cocking an eyebrow humorously.

"Put what on, lil' sis?"

"That gold; it must take hours!"

"Grrr," He growled but the teenager only snickered in response.

* * *

"Hannibal?" Face knocked nervously on the Colonel's bedroom door. "Hannibal, can I come in?"

The silence that met him only worried him more. He opened the door and crept gingerly through. The silver-haired man was sitting on the edge of the bed, chewing frantically on his cigar. As the Conman entered, he looked up.

"What's up, Lieutenant?"

"Shouldn't I be asking you that, Hannibal?" The blonde replied, "You gave us quite a shock back there..."

Smith dropped his gaze back onto his shoes. "M-Murdock.. Murdock has a _daughter_?"

"Apparently so," Faceman sat himself down next to the Colonel and sighed, "But I don't know whether I believe it."

"W-When did he, where-"

"I have no idea."

Hannibal's head shot up, his steely, blue eyes wide with realisation and a hint of panic. "You don't think she's working for Decker, do you?"

"There's a possibility, however I don't think this is Decker's sort of game, more like something Lynch would pull. And another thing; the kid looks just like Murdock! How could Decker find someone so convincing, and what _is_ his motive for all of this?" Face felt like _he _was Hannibal, having to explain everything to someone so confused.

"I can't believe it..." The Colonel uttered, his eyes once again dropping back to the floor.

After a period of silence, Face asked, "Penny for your thoughts."

"I've just been thinking," He answered, "Some stuff I've never thought about before."

"What like?"

"When the military catch up with us, if one of us falls ill or dies, how we'll never have a normal life, and now this! Face, how on earth are we going to explain this to Murdock? He's depressed as it is with Doctor Richter playing the old switcheroo on his meds, how is he going to cope with a child being dumped on him? And then there's the problem of having to run from the army while looking after the kid. God, I think I'm having a mid-life crisis."

Face rolled his eyes at the word 'mid-life'. "Hannibal, it'll be all right, it always is! How many times have we gotten out of scrapes that seemed like the end? How many times have we successfully evaded capture from Decker _and _Lynch? We're the A-Team, and the A-Team are unbeatable. We'll work this out, but right now we need to concentrate on that teenage girl downstairs. Come on."

The Conman and the Colonel descended down the stairs, Hannibal looking very bashful. B.A and Holly were deep in heated conversation as they entered the living room.

"...No way, you cannot!"

"Yeah I can!"

"Prove it!"

"I will!" The burly Sergeant picked up the empty Cola can Face had been drinking earlier and raised it to his forehead, pushing it against it and crushing it like a trash compacter. He smirked cockily, as Holly grumbled in defeat.

Face gave them an odd look but shook it off. "Holly, do you mind if we ask you some questions?"

"Fire away," She replied, taking a seat on the couch and kicking her long legs up on the nearby coffee table, her scruffy, black Converse scuffing the surface. The blonde Lieutenant winced; he loved that table.

"Where are you from?"

"Nevada."

"What city?"

"Las Vegas."

"How old are you?"

"13."

"Your birth date?"

"15 January, 1972."

"Your shoe size?"

"Size seve- wait, what?"

"Just kidding,"

"Okay? Now how about I ask _you _guys some questions." She told them. "Who are you?"

Back in his usual cool-as-a-cucumber persona, Hannibal took over. "I'm John Smith, but you can call me Hannibal." He pointed to the Conman, "Templeton Peck, but most people call him Face." He then pointed to the mechanic "He's B.A."

"I-I know you! You're the A-Team!"

"Yes we are-"

"So _my _dad is a member of the A-Team!?"

"Uh- yes he is-"

"Far out!" She exclaimed, but suddenly her face dropped, "Aren't you guys wanted?"

B.A grunted, "We wanted, but we innocent.."

Everyone paused, then Holly spoke up again. "Care to tell me how my dad ended up in the nut ward?" She asked, slightly annoyed.

All three men gave each other an apprehensive glance. "The pressures of war left Murdock a little... unhinged." Face answered.

"Fool's always been unhinged," Commented B.A gruffly.

"Do you know the reason he didn't stay with my mom, you know apart from the fact she's a selfish, soul-sucking alcoholic. "

Silence. "Uh- well.. we're not entirely sure ourselves."

"Can we go see him?"

"I've all ready seen him today," The silver-haired Colonel said, turning to Faceman "I doubt they'll let him have another visitor, will they?"

"I'm not sure, maybe tomorrow-"

"Why not now?" Holly asked, interrupting.

"Look, kid, the nurses at the VA might be pretty darn ignorant, but they aren't entirely stupid. They'll get suspicious." Hannibal told her.

"Ugh, fine, I'll go tomorrow. But I have nowhere to stay."

"You can stay here. I'm sure Face will gladly give you his room."

"Hey!" The blonde man whined, "Where will I sleep?"

"The couch is very comfortable you know." The Colonel smirked amusingly.

"Oh. Gee, thanks, Hannibal." Peck replied, flatly, rolling his eyes as went up stairs to hide the many hair-care products in his room.

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**(A/N): This wasn't my favourite chapter to write, but it had to be done. Tell me what you thought of it by a review (they make me ever so happy) and thanks for reading. :^)**


	5. A Picture Paints A Thousand Words

**(A/N): Thank you so much everyone! The reviews I've been getting lately are absolutely fantastic. I would have updated quicker, but my laptop was (and still is) on the fritz, so I couldn't/can't update regularly, and I have to do it from my Kindle, which is a pain. Once again thanks for being so supportive. **  
**Disclaimer: Hmm, I'm pretty sure I don't own the A-Team.**

_**LIKE FATHER, LIKE DAUGHTER**_

* * *

Murdock sighed heavily and dragged his hands down his face. He really didn't feel like one of Doctor Cutshaw's art therapy classes today. For one thing, he was almost positive Cutshaw was as nutty as a fruit cake, just like the rest of the crazies here. And secondly, it took him hours to get the paint out of his hair, and the taste of it out of his mouth.  
But alas, he had no say in the matter. Being a mental patient had its drawbacks sometimes. He was handed a paint brush and a pallet of colours and told to copy Monet's '_water lilies_'. It was supposed to be calming, but it just confused him.  
"Why are these colours so... dull, boring, uninspiring? Monet had the whole colour wheel at his finger tips, yet he used these dreary shades and pigments- scare bleu!" The Pilot exclaimed in anguish, throwing the painting equipment to the floor.  
"Now, Murdock, don't be like that. If you want, you can paint something else." Cutshaw told him.  
"Like what?"  
"Well, how about you paint your emotions?" The Doctor suggested, his voice slightly patronising. Seeing that Murdock didn't object, he quickly went over to a group of patients painting themselves instead of focusing on the project. The Captain stared vacantly at the blank canvas, picked up the brush and pallet from the ground and started to coat the whole thing in a deep, raven black.

* * *

As Hannibal entered the living room, he chuckled to himself. Face was out cold on the couch, his arms and legs wide in a star shape and his mouth open like a fish out of water. The blonde man's hair was sticking up in every direction, almost like a cartoon character who'd just been electrocuted. He was also snoring and snorting like a pig. The Colonel had always thought that Face had been an elegant, graceful (or at least quiet) sleeper. Boy, did he get that wrong.  
The silver-haired man went right up close to Peck's face and boomed, "Morning, Lieutenant, up and at 'em!"  
Templeton was up as quick as a flash, but then realising that he wasn't in any danger, flopped back down onto the couch again. "Hannibal! What time is it?" Face asked, his whiny voice muffled slightly by the cushions he was lying on.  
"6 am," Hannibal answered cheerily, "Do you want some coffee?"  
"Ugh, not from you!"  
"Why? What's wrong with my coffee?"  
"It tastes like mud."  
"Charming," The Colonel remarked, heading into the kitchen. "How about some breakfast?"  
Face groaned. "No thanks. I don't really fancy having bacon that looks, and tastes, like it's been struck by lighting again."  
"Suit yourself. You better get up and get dressed before Holly comes down and sees what you look like without your face on." Hannibal told him.  
"Very funny, Hannibal." Peck muttered sarcastically, as he trudged up the stairs.

Around an hour later, B.A was out of bed, fully dressed, and in the living room. Hannibal entered, placing a plate of fatally burnt bacon in front of him.  
"Oh no!" The Mechanic whined, "Not your bacon, Hannibal, anything but your bacon!"  
The silver-haired Colonel grumbled curses under his breath before stomping back into the kitchen. At 8 o'clock, it was Holly who joined B.A in the sitting room, and not Temp.  
"What's taking Face so long?" The Sergeant asked, while Hannibal gave the teenager so overly-crispy pork.  
"I think he's taking a shower. I heard it running." Holly replied. She looked at her breakfast warily before taking a small bite. The Colonel stared at her desperately; his eyes begging her to like the food (or at least pretend to). After a minute of hesitation, the young girl actually started to chew. She smiled politely and rubbed circles on her stomach. "Mmmm," She murmured, as Hannibal grinned like a madman and waltzed back into the kitchen, victorious.  
B.A stared at her like she had just grown two heads. "You actually liked that!?"  
"It tastes like charcoal." Holly grimaced, swallowing the food down quickly. She pushed her plate away in disgust.  
After a moments silence, the girl asked, "Does Face have a girlfriend or something?"  
"Uh, no... why?"  
"I was just wondering. I know it's not my business, but I was looking through all the cupboards and draws in his room out of curiosity, and found LOADS of hair care products and skin creams and smelly stuff. It was really weird."  
B.A started howling with laughter just as Peck came bounding down the stairs.  
"What's so funny?" He inquired.  
As the Mechanic tried to suppress his giggling, Face shook his head and sat on one of the armchairs, just as Hannibal came back into the living room.  
"So what's the plan, Colonel?" Temp asked.  
"I was thinking, you know, why not just bust Murdock out instead of visiting him."  
"'Cus then we'd have to be around the fool." B.A grumbled sourly.  
"We only just dropped him back at the VA two days ago. Surely they'll know some thing's up. They'll lock him up real tight and put him in solitary confinement again like they did last time-"  
"You're over-thinking things, Face. How about the old breaking-and-entering routine?"  
"I think it's best we just visit him for now..."  
"Fine. Do it the boring way."  
The three team members were slightly nervous when they got into the van with Holly and set off for the hospital.

* * *

"Okay, everyone, paintbrushes down please!" Most of the patients didn't even bother listening to Cutshaw, just carried on trying to paint the ceiling. By the expression on his face, the Doctor looked like he was ready to explode. "BRUSHES. DOWN." He belted. The room was so silent, you could of heard some Olanzapine drop. Cutshaw sighed tiredly, "Show me your work."  
Each patient turned their canvases towards him. Almost every single one had started off with the bridge, but then went on to paint the water a bright red or purple, some even orange.  
"And you, Murdock?" He walked over and took a look himself. The first thing he noticed was how the whole thing was coated in black. Looking closer, he saw little specks of scarlet also dotted on there. The Doctor looked up at the Pilot in surprise. "Is there something you need to talk about?" He asked, slightly worried, as he guided Murdock away from the others.  
"Nope. I'm fine." He lied, "It was supposed to be the night sky, but I didn't have any white, so I just used red."  
Cutshaw relaxed a little. "Oh, well okay then."  
"Can I go now?"  
"Uh, um, yeah, sure."  
The Captain left the room swiftly, leaving Cutshaw to contain the other patients. He started to clean up everything, and came to Murdock's work again. Slowly, he picked up the pallet from the floor; a large blob of white untouched on the near edge.

* * *

"All right, do we all know what we're doing?"  
"Can you go over it one more time please?"  
Hannibal sighed, "Not all of us can go visit Murdock because if the Military decide to show up, we'll get caught. So Face and B.A will wait here in the van, and you and I will go inside. We clear now?" He explained again for the third time.  
"As clear as crystal," Holly nodded, sliding open the door and hopping out. She and Hannibal, complete with wig and moustache, walked slowly towards the building. As they approached the entrance, Holly stopped.  
"You nervous, kid?" The Colonel asked.  
The Teenager ceased ringing her bony fingers and glanced up at the older man. "Uh- yeah, yeah, just a little."  
"You know, we don't have to do this right now. We can wait until tomorrow-"  
"No, no, I need to see him. Let's just go inside and get this over with."  
Hannibal had to hand it to the girl; she was determined, just like her father. With a few shaky steps, Holly followed Hannibal into the VA. They told the nurse, a particularly new-looking one, at reception that they were relatives of the Captain in town for a few days, and were desperate to see him. As always, the nurse bought it, and they were shown to his room.  
"Murdock has been a bit depressed lately, so don't be surprised if he doesn't want to talk." Said the nurse outside his door. She unlocked it, smiled politely and returned to her place. As they entered they were greeted with a series of annoyed grunts; Murdock's head was buried into his paint-smeared pillow.  
"I'm not in the mood for gettin' barbecued right now, come back later-" He paused when he looked up, confused, "Hannibal? That you?"  
The Colonel in disguise nodded and gave one of his trademark smirks as he ambled over to the Pilot's bed. Murdock, whose full attention now given to the Silver-haired man, sat up straight and looked over to the young girl, who was anxiously standing over by the door, looking extremely uncomfortable.  
"And who's this little cutie?" He asked, smiling and beckoning her over. She relaxed slightly and crept towards him, her bright blue eyes glued to the floor. After a moment of silence, she scuffed her shoes along the ground and glanced questioningly over to Hannibal. He nodded once and took over.  
"Murdock, there's something you must know..."  
The Captain grinned warmly at the girl, and then looked back to the Colonel. "Go on,"  
The Colonel paused. There was no easy way to do this. He didn't know what to say. "This," Hannibal told him, as he ushered the Teenager forward, "Is your daughter."  
The Pilot's smile faded slightly. "Huh?"  
"My name is Holly, Marie Muro and I am from Nevada. I'm 13 years old and my favourite colour is blue. I also love Penguins." She said as she introduced herself, while receiving an odd look from Hannibal.  
Murdock's distressed eyes slowly lowered themselves to the floor. His Adam's apple bobbed up and down in his throat and he kept opening and closing his mouth as if he was going to say something, but no words would come out. Slowly, he started chuckling to himself. "You really think you can fool me with that one? Geez, Hannibal, how dumb do I look?" He stood up from the messy bed and scrutinized the Teenager. "How much did he pay you, kid?" He asked, "10 dollars? A buck? Great acting, you really had me goin' there for a second."  
"M-Murdock, this isn't a joke. She really is your daughter-" The silver-haired man tried to explain.  
"And I'm the sanest man alive! Honestly, Colonel, I'm shocked; I thought you could've done so much better."  
"Does the name Stephanie mean anything to you? Does it ring any bells?" Holly asked, her voice slightly bordering on the edge of desperation.  
"S-Stephanie? Uh, no, I don't think so."  
You could see the disappointment blaze in the young girl's eyes. Any bravery she'd managed to build up crumbled like a badly constructed wall. She swallowed and turned to walk away, stopping by the door.  
"I'm sorry to have bothered you then, Murdock." She whispered coarsely.  
Just as she was about to leave, the Captain put a supportive hand on her too-thin shoulder. "I might remember. I just need more details." He prompted.

* * *

The wind blew softly, rustling the leaves on the trees and scattering them everywhere. It was perfect kite weather today; scenic, blue sky, a constant, warm, gentle breeze, plenty of room. Most of the patients were out on the lawn playing frisbee or dancing around the picnic tables and jumping off them like little children. However, the calming atmosphere didn't console Murdock in the slightest. Inside, he was panicking. Panicking like he never had before.  
This could not be happening to him! The Pilot was questioning his sense of reality all of a sudden. Was his mind playing tricks on him again?  
'Curse you, intermittent memory loss!' He thought to himself.

Murdock, Holly and Hannibal finally managed to find a seat without there being that many patients nearby. He sat opposite the girl, avoiding her curious gaze.  
"You know, I've never been in a mental hospital before." She said nonchalantly, twirling the bits of stray hair that stuck out of her hat. The Captain sniffed and scratched his nose. The silence that followed after was awkward, painful even, and he wanted it to go away.  
"Why don't you tell Murdock about your mother, Holly." She replied. Hannibal offered. It was like he had read his mind.  
"Don't you think we've punished him enough, Hannibal?" The silver-haired man gave her an 'unless-you-want-the-situation-to-become-even-more -awkward,-you-better-start-talking' look.  
"Ugh, fine..." she took in a deep breath. "Her name is Stephanie Muro, she's 43 years old, and she's a raging alcoholic. Since you don't remember ever meeting her, I'll tell her what she said about you." To Hannibal and Murdock's surprise, she actually took out a crumpled up, little list. "According to my mother you are... funny, charming, ...great in bed... sweet, eccentric and you have good taste in whisky." She also pulled a picture of a woman from her pocket. She had small grey eyes, sandy-blonde hair in curls, and an enormous amount of makeup on. "You sure you don't remember this face? It's kind of hard to forget."

Murdock took the photo in his hands and scrutinized it. Concentration blazed in his eyes. It was tiny. If Hannibal hadn't been watching the Captain closely, he wouldn't of noticed it, but he did.

...Recognition.

* * *

**(A/N): I bet you guys hate my guts, leaving you hanging like this. Teehee, I'm a little devil, aren't I? **  
**And yes, I did borrow the 'Cutshaw' name off of 'The Ninth Configuration'. It's a great movie. Tell me what you thought by a review, and thanks for reading! Until next time...**.


	6. Alcohol-a-no-no

**(A/N): Grr, my laptop is being an angry, ol' Mudsucker. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own the A-Team, I just like to play with them.**

_**LIKE FATHER, LIKE DAUGHTER**_

* * *

Murdock held his breath.

He _knew _this woman, vaguely, he didn't exactly remember everything about her, but he definitely knew her face. He could feel Holly's bright blue eyes burning through his brown ones. The Pilot glanced up from the photograph, and then quickly wished he hadn't. The Teenager was right on the edge of her seat, obviously about to explode with anticipation.

"Holly," he said, "do you mind if Hannibal and I have a word?"

Startled, the young girl shot up from the bench and, in a flustered breath, replied, "No, not at all. I'll just be over here if you need me." She smiled (she seemed to do that a lot) and ambled over to a nearby oak tree, leaning casually against the trunk.

"Hannibal, am I going crazy?"

"You're _really _asking that now, Captain?"

"Seriously," Murdock hissed, barely audible above a whisper, "am I? Is this really happening?"

Hannibal felt his pulse and raised an eyebrow. "I'm pretty sure it is, Murdock." The older man responded humorously.

The Pilot's head fell into his hands and he emitted something like a pained groan. "Why me?" He asked to no one in particular.

Hannibal took out a cigar from his breast pocket and chewed on it gently. "What happened, Murdock?"

"Well," the Captain explained, "you know back in 'Nam when I went all... weird?" Hannibal rolled his eyes. "And I was brought back to the states for that special psych evaluation? Yeah, I kind of... uh, ran of..."

"What?" The Colonel remarked.

"I ran off. Military security has really gone downhill over the years, huh? As soon as I was out of their sight, I made like a banana sundae and split. I wasn't exactly in the right frame of mind then, and the first place I headed was a bar. I remember having a _LOT _to drink, met a woman and the rest is a blur. I'm guessing her and I didn't quite understand the 'no sex on a first date' rule.."

"I guess so," the older man sighed.

"Though... I don't get it." Concluded Murdock.

"Don't get _what _exactly?"

"How, after _one _drunken experience, I end up with a kid and Face, after _countless _drunken experiences, has none."

"That may not be true, Murdock." Hannibal said. "He could have 50 and we would never know."

The Captain exhaled heavily and turned his head towards the girl. She was watching some other patients play frisby (or whatever rendition it was) nearby. She looked content, at ease, for the first time he'd saw her; she looked happy, and he couldn't help but smile when she did.

"What am I gonna do, Hannibal?" He asked flatly as he turned back to the Colonel.

The silver-haired man paused. "...You're going to act like a father to her. You're going to get to know her, you're going to learn about her and her life before she met you, and you're _not _going to screw it up."

"But-"

"That girl has been without a father since the day she was born, Murdock. She's had to live with an abusive, alcoholic mother for 13 _years_. You have the power to make the rest of her life a happy one, or completely ruin it. The choice is yours; make the right one."

The Pilot felt motivated by Hannibal's words and slipped on a brave face before calling the Teenager back over. She sat down next to the Colonel and, once again, smiled.

"So..." Murdock began uneasily, "Ever heard the Lennon Sisters?"

Holly looked slightly surprised at first, but then grinned warmly. "No, I don't think I have."

"Well, I'll have to get you a record of them, then." He said, producing that magical, lopsided smile that Hannibal _loved. _

* * *

"Excuse me," an orderly called was he walked over to the bench they were sitting at half an hour later, "but I'm afraid you'll have to leave; it's time for Murdock's ECT session."

Holly's head whipped round to Hannibal. "ECT?" She repeated quietly, confused. The Colonel squirmed awkwardly and stood up, motioning for Holly to do also. The Teenager stared, almost angrily, at the orderly and her mouth set in a straight line. Murdock looked desperately back and forth between his daughter and the hospital staff member. He begged, pleaded, with his eyes, and when the orderly told him again to come with him and say goodbye to his visitors, Murdock stood deadly still. Unmoving, unblinking, Hannibal and Holly eyed him cautiously.

In a flash, the Pilot was off; sprinting towards the fence like a Cheetah.

A delayed, unexpected reaction was given from the young girl and the older man and they quickly spun on their heels and followed him. The orderly had just managed to get other staff to pursue the escaping patient, but the head start from Murdock had them beat, and he was all ready over the fence, Holly and Hannibal right behind him.

* * *

"What the _hell _were you thinking, Captain!?" Hannibal yelled breathlessly as he, Holly and Murdock made their way quickly over to the awaiting van.

"You ain't been barbecued before, have ya', Hannibal? It's not the greatest sensation in the world!" Replied the Pilot.

"That was awesome." The young girl said, hopping into the vehicle. They both gave her confused glances before taking their seats.

"Look who decided to join us." The Colonel declared.

"I'm absolutely _elated_," Face muttered sarcastically, as B.A started the engine and began to drive back to the apartment, growling like a mad dog the whole way there.

* * *

**(A/N): Sorry for being a brute and leaving you with this short update. I've decided to try and repair my laptop (oh dear), so right now, I'm borrowing a friends old one. Because of this, I may be able to produce chapters a bit quicker. Or maybe not; after all, I am a slacker...**

**A review would really make my day. **


	7. Mini-Murdock

**(A/N): I apologise for the short update last chapter. I've tried to add a bit of humour in this chapter as well as drama. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own the A-Team. **

_**LIKE FATHER, LIKE DAUGHTER**_

* * *

Murdock shifted uncomfortably in his seat as they neared the apartment. His eyes were locked onto his beat up, old Converse, but yet he could sense Holly's stare on him. The Pilot's consistent, restless movements earned him a menacing growl from B.A and he tried his best to keep still. It proved impossible, and the big, angry Mudsucker driving glared at him in the front view mirror.

"If you don't stop wrigglin' around, I'ma throw you out the window, fool!"

This time, Murdock stopped. Odd, Hannibal thought, Murdock would usually carry on annoying B.A until the threats became a little more psychical. However he shook it off. The man deserved to be acting strangely, after all, he _had_ just been declared a father.

It was eerily silent in the van. Normally, there would be bickering between the Captain and the Sergeant to fill the void of quiet, but today there wasn't. It didn't feel _right _to the Colonel; it didn't feel like the usual, and he didn't like it.

"So, why are you guys wanted?" The Teenager asked, cutting through the awkward, slumberous atmosphere. Hannibal was thankful, but took a quick glance at his other men to gauge what they were going to say. The eyes of each soldier met and then three looked to those steely blue of their leader in inquisition.

The silver haired elder cleared his throat before answering. "We were stitched up. The Military turned its back on us." He explained, though it left Holly looking a little confused.

"Oh," she said, simply. She interlocked her bony fingers and twiddled her thumbs, while averting her gaze from the other men. Face, who still hadn't fully got to know the girl, felt a pang of concern strike in his stomach. This whole situation was uncomfortable, he didn't know what to say.

"B.A, roll down the window, will you? It's a little stuffy in here." Peck told the Mechanic, though stuffy wasn't even the _word _to describe the ambiance right then.

It wasn't as hot as yesterday, nowhere nearly as hot, but the breeze still had that nice, warm, calming effect on them. The Lieutenant looked over to the Captain slowly and then back to the Teenager. They were unconsciously mirroring each other. It would have been amusing if the mood wasn't so cumbersome and obstinate.

Finally, they arrived back at the apartment.

Much to Hannibal's disappointment, the Pilot pretty much ignored his daughter for nearly the whole day, only saying a couple of words to her the entire time they were with each other.

* * *

It was about 2 am when the Colonel found his Captain in the living room, a half empty bottle of whisky dangling from his fingertips. He quietly made his way over to Murdock with his arms folded over his dressing gown, eyebrow cocked in a questioning manner.

The Pilot hadn't noticed him yet so he coughed. Murdock's head shot up. "Really, Captain?" He asked disapprovingly.

"What?" The younger man slurred in response. Hannibal motioned for him to surrender the alcohol, but Murdock pulled it up to his chest and cradled it.

"You haven't said a word to Holly all day, and now you're _drinking_? I expected better of you."

Murdock scowled. "Why don't you go pick on Face, huh? Leave me alone."

"You're drunk. Give me the bottle, Captain."

"No-"

"That's an _order_." Hannibal commanded. Obvious displeasure planted itself on Murdock's face but after a minute or so, he relented, and reached out to hand the bottle to the older man-

_"AGGGGHHHHH!"_ Came a shrill scream from upstairs.

Hannibal and Murdock took one look at each other, and then bolted to the second floor, the whisky crashing to the groud. B.A and Face emerged from the Mechanic's room, as the Pilot and the Colonel arrived at the top of the stairs. They all looked to Peck's bedroom door and then passed worried glances. Hannibal turned the handle and entered cautiously, followed by B.A, then Face, and lastly a tipsy Murdock.

Holly was crouching at the corner of the bed, eyes wide with panic, and panting breathlessly. The three concerned men looked over to their Pilot and ushered him forward. The Teenager scrambled back against the headboard, and started shaking.

"No, no, no. Get away, Joe, get away." She hissed.

Joe? Who was Joe?

"Holly, it's me; Murdock." The Captain tried, slowly. He kneeled down in front of the bed and looked into her deep, scared, blue eyes. Just like one of his breakdowns, she was seeing someone, something else, and it broke his heart. She curled up into a ball and hid her face from him, whimpering in fear. "Look at me, Holly." He commanded, taking a hold of her small wrists. She stared at him in terror and tried to pull away. "I'm your _dad_, remember?"

A glint, a tiny speck, of recognition flashed in her eyes and she collapsed onto Murdock, her body rattling with relief-filled sobs. In surprise, the Pilot held his hands up, but then wrapped them around the young girl and pulled her into a comforting hug.

* * *

About two hours later, Murdock came trudging down the stairs and into the living room, where Hannibal, Face and B.A awaited nervously.

"How is she?" Asked the Lieutenant.

The Captain sighed heavily. "Asleep, finally. She didn't want me to leave her."

"What happened, do you think? Who's this 'Joe' person?"

"I have no idea. But, I'm guessing she might have a slight form of PTSD. I'm not sure what could have triggered it though."

"Maybe a nightmare?" B.A offered.

"Maybe. Gosh, I can't believe it."

"Can't believe what, Murdock?" Hannibal inquired.

"She's _just _like me, ain't she? Am I the only one who's noticed that?" Said the Pilot, dragging his hands down his face in fatigue.

The three other men gave each other a glance. "How so?" Questioned Peck.

"Well, for starters, we basically dress the same-"

"Murdock, she wears pegged jeans, you wear high waters. She wears a beanie, you wear a cap-"

"The Converse, the leather jacket, the wacky t-shirt! Face, we're the _exact _same!"

"He does have a point, Lieutenant." Hannibal admitted humorously.

"We have the same hair colour, she's tall, _too _skinny for my liking, strong jaw line. It's like she's the mini, female version of ME!" The Captain exclaimed. "_And _she might be suffering from a psychiatric disorder..."

"So?" Face probed.

Murdock's jaw dropped, flapping his arms about and pointing to himself in frustration. "_HELLO_!"

"All right, all right, I get it. But there is _one _difference between you and her." Templeton stated.

"And what's that?"

"Well, she's definitely better looking than you..."

Murdock grumbled and pouted before stomping back up stairs.

* * *

**(A/N): Did you like this chapter? Love it? Hate it? Tell me by a review. Thanks for reading! **


	8. The Vow

**(A/N): I'm sorry for the long gap in-between updating. **

**Disclaimer: I own Nada.**

**_LIKE FATHER, LIKE DAUGHTER_**

* * *

Murdock hadn't slept a wink since the incident with Holly. He was too busy trying to figure out _what _on earth happened with his life. Yes, he never _had_ a normal life, but so many things had spiraled completely out of his control in the past few weeks. He'd gotten so used to this crazy routine of dodging bullets and trying to keep up the tiring game of Cat and Mouse between his Team and the Military, that he had honestly forgot what it was like to just sit down without worrying when the next time Decker and his goons would pop up, or how to load a gun, or how to clean out a bullet wound properly.

It was like a never-ending cycle of constant... _thinking_.

And sometimes, he didn't want to _think_. _Thinking _was what got him into this whole mess. _Thinking _was what got him landed in the VA, straight-jacketed and padlocked away with the rest of the loonies.

And still his mind continued to wander. Who on earth was "Joe"? He assumed "Joe" was a cold hearted bastard, who abused innocent children. But, he'd never met the guy, so how was he supposed to know?  
What he did need to know was Holly's full background. Like Hannibal had said, he needed to get to know her, to understand her, what makes her tick, what her fears are, what her favourite flavour of ice cream is. All the important stuff.

He sighed and glanced at the clock; 5 am.

He was tired, still a little drunk, and he just wanted to escape reality for a couple of hours, but judging by the time, that seemed highly unlikely.

"Curse you, brain..." he muttered under his breath and dragged his hands down his face in fatigue.

* * *

7 am. The apartment held a sombre atmosphere. Hannibal had decided that it was wiser for him to get donuts for breakfast instead of everyone complaining about his cooking and B.A was with Face getting some more groceries, so now it was just Murdock and Holly.

The Pilot was still occupying the sofa when he heard footsteps creeping down the stairs. He turned his head to the doorway and watched as the Teenager appeared with her head down and her hands wringing together. She wasn't wearing her jacket, and he could see how thin her arms were; _too _thin.

He didn't know what to say, and neither did she. "Mornin'," the man finally greeted, smiling weakly and nodding his head once.

She walked over slowly, almost cautiously, and sat down on the rickety wooden chair opposite the couch, returning the awkward, forced smile and dropping her gaze down to her shoes. Murdock cursed under his breath. She was so fragile looking, skinny, bony, like cracked glass. Looking at her made him go back to his early days in the VA. He was just like her back then; broken.

It was now or never. "Holly, we need to talk."

"'Bout what?" She asked quietly.

"Who's Joe?"

She visibly paled at the mention of that monster. Murdock noticed her eyes darken, her knuckles whiten and her muscles tense to the point where she was almost vibrating. "N-No one-"

"Holly, you need to tell me the truth." Murdock said sternly.

The girl evaded his stare.

"Holly..." he tried again.

Sighing, the young girl finally looked at him and inquired, "Can we go for a walk?"

* * *

It was another hot day, which Murdock was thankful for. The sun shined down on them and the warm breeze blew against their backs as they strolled through a quiet, little park. They hadn't said a word to each other yet, and the Pilot knew he had to wait. The Teenager was obviously distressed; this was obviously a hard topic for her to talk about, and if he was in the same situation as her, he probably wouldn't open up too quickly.

"Joe was one of my mom's boyfriends..." She stated, letting the sentence hang in the air. "And, let's just say he wasn't a very nice man." She laughed bitterly.

"What did he do to you?" Pressed Murdock.

He was surprised when she stopped and began rubbing her stick-like arms in some sort of repetitive manner. It was like she was arguing with herself about whether to do something or not, and finally, she showed a slight determination that twinkled in her sky blue eyes. Reaching for her beanie, she gently pulled it off, revealing what was underneath.

Her hair was a lot darker than when he first saw it. Parts of it were a light, mousy brown, but other parts were a deep chocolate. It was short, untamed, squared in. And as the Captain inspected closer, he could see large bald patches dotted on the different parts of her scalp where mocha locks of hair were missing. He gasped and without fully realising what he was doing, began to touch her head and feel the areas of rough skin that weren't normally supposed to be seen.

"He... he did this to you?" Murdock asked in disbelief.

Holly nodded and guiltily lowered her face in shame. "He'd often tear out chunks when he got mad." She then pulled away from Murdock, turned her back towards him and rolled up her t-shirt.

There were _giant_, ugly, purple and brown bruises decorating most of her spine and lower back.

"_No, no, no, no!_" Murdock murmured, turning his head away in disgust. She pivoted round to her grimacing father and with solemn eyes and a heavy heart, lifted up the front of her shirt, exposing a burn scar trailing across her flat stomach and her clearly visible rib cage. When he looked back and saw what that sick bastard had done to her, he kneeled down in front of her, locked his eyes with hers and in silence pulled her into his chest, kissing her head and rubbing her back in circles comfortingly.

"It'll be all right, darlin'. Everythin'll be all right." He promised, letting his hate-filled eyes burn with fury toward the man who dared even touch a child in that way. He vowed to not only get revenge, but to make him regret ever laying a hand on his daughter.


	9. No More Mr Nice Mental Patient

**(A/N): Sorry for the delay in updating. Also, I'm sorry if this chapter sucks; it wasn't very easy to write.**

**Disclaimer: You know I own nothin', fool!**

_**LIKE FATHER, LIKE DAUGHTER**_

* * *

Murdock couldn't believe what he was seeing, couldn't even begin to comprehend. When Holly took off her hat, gently, smoothly, with her head down and her eyes squeezed shut, he automatically thought of the electroshock therapy they gave him at the VA. And then when she showed him the bruises, he felt the sudden rise of fury surge through him. Finally, when she revealed to him the burn scars...

Something inside him snapped.

No longer could he think rationally or reasonably (it wasn't like he did anyway.) No longer did he feel that vital sense of morality. No, now he was out for blood.

Back at the apartment, in ambled the Teenager half an hour later, her eerily quiet father in tow. Face, who was sitting on the couch nursing a glass of scotch on the rocks, immediately noticed something wrong and abandoned his beverage. He quickly took the Pilot aside. "You okay, buddy?" He asked, trying his best to sound nonchalant.

Murdock, who was by this point burning with rage, put on a stony, cold mask to cover his intense anger. He nodded, patted Face on the shoulder a lot harder than he'd meant to, and smiled a smile that didn't reach his eyes, which, Face noticed, were extremely dark and dangerous looking.

This was _not_ the happy-go-lucky, usually cool headed Murdock they normally saw day to day; this was the scarily serious Murdock, the one they saw on very rare occasions. This was the Murdock who didn't care if people were hurt or lives were ended. When this type of Murdock reared its ugly head, the Team didn't know what to expect from him, and Face had to warn the Colonel immediately.

Walking briskly into the kitchen where Hannibal and B.A were conveniently located, the Conman, with a hushed voice, explained that there was something wrong with their Pilot.

"So what you're saying is... Murdock's lost it?" Hannibal asked, eyebrow cocked in a questioning manner.

Face shrugged. "There's something not right about him, and I think that something might involve Holly."

"What are you implying? That Holly is the one making him like this?"

"No, no! What I mean is there might be something Holly's brought with her that is troubling Murdock."

"Like what exactly?" Inquired B.A.

"I don't know. A story from her past? Murdock _did_ say she had a slight form of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, that, as we all know, can only be brought on by something pretty serious..." Face explained.

Hannibal eyed his two other men and formulated a plan in his mind. "Okay... Face, go and see if you can calm Murdock down. Whatever you do though, do _not _let him out of your sight. B.A, you're the one who's good with kids; see if you can get any answers out of Holly."

They nodded their agreement and went their separate ways. But when Face walked back into the living room, he saw the Captain leaning against the dining table, Face's scotch now empty from the glass. He must have drunken it.

The Conman sighed; this was going to be hard work.

* * *

The truth was, B.A didn't know what he was supposed to be doing. Yes, the Colonel had told him to grill Holly for answers and, yes, he knew how to do just that, but not with her. She was a young girl, fragile-looking, if you asked him to describe her, and he didn't exactly know how to approach the subject. He dealt with troubled kids on a daily basis, what with working at the learning centre. But this was different. This was _Murdock's _daughter.

He slowly climbed the stairs and ended up outside of Face's bedroom, thoughts still swimming around inside his brain. Bracing himself, he knocked gently on the door and entered.

Holly was sitting casually on the bed, eyes immediately brightening when she looked up and saw B.A walk in. "Hi, B.A," she greeted and nodded.

"How you doin', little sis?" The Sergeant asked.

"I'm fine." Replied the girl, looking down at her scruffy sneakers. Obviously she wasn't, B.A noted, and sat down on the bed next to her.

The awkwardness was almost suffocating, as the gold-wearing giant and the lanky Teen steered around the elephant in the room, that was threatening to completely crush them if they ignored it any longer.

"Look," B.A said, "I know there's something you're not tellin' us."

"It's nothing-"

"Yeah it is, Holly, I know it is. It's somethin' bad and we need to deal with it."

"You wouldn't wanna know..." She muttered sadly.

"Try me." He said.

She sighed, adjusting the hat on her head, and continued to stare at the carpet. "It's just... I haven't had the best upbringing, y'know? You could say that I've been mistreated, but... but-"

"You been abused?"

"Well, I wouldn't say _abused _is the right way to describe it, but yeah." She rubbed face tiredly and fiddled with her bony fingers.

The more B.A stared at her with his big, harsh, sober eyes, the more he realised how troubled this young girl was. Her lily white skin was littered with faint marks of all sorts you wouldn't take a second glance at if you hadn't looked closely. Her wrists were stick thin. The windows to her soul were shaded with a mixture of permanent sadness and a worrying relief. He didn't understand it; when she was on their doorstep, she looked perfectly happy. And when Face and him were talking to her, she was like any other teenager, stubborn, but remotely normal. But now, she was like something damaged. Her face had fallen and she looked so alone, even when he was sitting right next to her. _  
_

"B.A?" She called gently, pulling him away from his thoughts.

"Yeah, little sis?"

"What's your mom like?" Asked Holly.

B.A paused and smiled. "Well, she's like me; tough, but she's also carin'. She's a good momma, raised me well."

"Oh," replied the Teen simply. "That's nice."

The Sergeant didn't really like that reply. It seemed sad, choked up and forced. He didn't like the way she looked a little surprised when she heard his answer, either. He certainly didn't like the longing, distant look in her eyes when she uttered those quiet words and how the straight, thin line of her mouth dropped down into a full, quivering frown of inner pain and turmoil. But he didn't know what to say or do to make her smile again, and _that_ was what he didn't like most.

* * *

Hopefully, B.A was having more luck with Holly than Face was having with Murdock.

The Lieutenant was trying his best to make it seem like he didn't really care, but that was becoming increasingly hard to do when the Pilot was acting the way he was. In fact, Face felt like _he _was acting like the _normal _Murdock, constantly by the Captain's side, asking him frustrating questions.

"Hey, buddy, wanna go to the park and take Billy for a walk?" He inquired. "Wanna go for a drive? I'll let you hop over the door, you love to do that!"

"Face, not right now."

"Wanna go get ice cream? I know you love ice cream-"

"I'm not in the mood, Faceman."

"How about we see a movie? I heard they're showing the Gremlins-"

"_No_, Peck."

That definitely shut Face up. Murdock almost _never_ called Face by his real name. "Okay, okay. Just calm down, bud-"

"I don't think I will _calm down_, Face. What I do _think_, though, is that you should just keep your stinkin' nose outta my business!" He yelled, which caused Hannibal to immediately enter the room.

"What's going on, Captain?" He asked sternly.

"Why does everyone keep askin' that, huh? What, do I look like some little kid to you? Is that it?"

"Of course not-"

"I'm a grown man, dammit! Not some toddler that needs babysittin'. You don't need to constantly mother me!"

"Murdock, relax." Hannibal warned him, voice low and commanding, but the Pilot was having none of it.

Murdock walked briskly past them and was about to head up the stairs, when Face grabbed him by his sleeve and pulled him back. Suddenly, the Lieutenant was slammed against a wall, Murdock nose-to-nose with him, dangerously close. His lip flared in indignation, almost like that of an angry dog waiting to attack.

His grip on Face's collar tightened. "Don't even try it,_ Peck_." He growled.

With one last burning stare, the Captain let go of the blonde and carried on making his way upstairs hastily. Face was about to follow, but this time it was Hannibal to stop him. "I wouldn't, Lieutenant, not unless you want a broken nose."

When Murdock came bursting through the door to Face's bedroom, B.A immediately stood from the bed and blocked Holly. He saw how furious the other man was and he knew something had went wrong downstairs.

"Holly," the Pilot ordered, glancing at B.A and then back down to the girl. "Come with me."

"Wh-"

"_N__ow_."

The Teenager slowly got up from the bed and crept past the Mechanic, glancing at him in a mixture of confusion and fear, and allowed herself to be taken downstairs by Murdock. They made their way out to the 'Vette, not before grabbing the keys from the key bowl, and started up the engine. As they pulled off, Holly looked up to the window, silently begging Face, Hannibal and B.A, who were watching, to come and stop him from whatever he was going to do.

"You got a plan, Colonel?" Face asked, climbing into the van and sliding the door shut as Hannibal took his seat up front.

"Sergeant?"

"All ready sorted, Hannibal. I kept on the tracking device way back from our Job in Kansas."

"Nice, B.A. Let's go; we can't lose them."

The three Team members set off, all worrying what state of mind their Captain was in and about the safety of his daughter.

* * *

**(A/N): Ugh, that was a pain to write. Hopefully it wasn't too bad? Ah, who am I kidding? It sucked! Leave a review and tell me what _you _thought. Thanks for reading. **


	10. Nightmare On Melbrooke Road

**(A/N): Lots of drama in this chapter. Sorry I haven't updated in such a while; my sleeping patterns are all over the place. I'm either too tired to write, or too pumped to sit down and write. Hopefully, this longer chapter will make it up to you. **

**Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing. **

_**LIKE FATHER, LIKE DAUGHTER**_

* * *

Holly couldn't be more confused if she tried. She was talking to B.A and then all of a sudden, Murdock bursts into the room, face red with rage, and orders her to come with him. Face had looked awfully worried when Murdock took the keys to his car and when they were about to drive off, she saw them all standing in the window, Hannibal gnawing on a cigar and B.A balling his huge fists.

They were flying down the road, a lot faster than the normal permitted speed limit, the wind whipping their faces. Holly took a nervous glance at the man driving. His face was scrunched up in anger and his knuckles were turning white as he gripped the steering wheel tighter and tighter. She wondered if she had done anything to make him this way and was tempted to ask. She thought better of it when he slammed even harder on the accelerator.

* * *

"What do you think he's going to do, Hannibal?" Face asked nervously from the back seat of the van.

The Colonel twirled his cigar in his gloved fingers and then nibbled on the end of it in thought. There were a number of things the Pilot was capable of when he was in a blind rage. Murder was definitely a possibility, but it wouldn't be the Captain's first choice.

"I don't know, Face. But whatever Murdock's planning, it won't involve a negotiation over afternoon tea."

* * *

It had been about an hour on the road, and Holly didn't know how much more of Murdock's increasingly erratic behaviour she could take. The occasional muttering under his breath and the drumming of his fingers on the wheel and the wild look in his eye made her want to get out of the car right then.

Driving had always made her sleepy, but she refused to close her eyes. Who knows what Murdock would do.

At that thought, she chided herself.

_He's your dad, not some homicidal maniac. _

Of course. She was just being silly.

_Go on, go to sleep... and then wake up in a ditch! _

No, he wouldn't do that... would he?

She eyed her father. He _had _been in the army, a soldier. Soldiers were trained to kill, right? And he _was _a mental patient...

_He's just waiting for you to close your eyes, Holly. _

Why was she being so paranoid? They were just driving. Nothing was going to happen.

She sucked in an anxious breath of air and squirmed in her seat. They were heading in the direction of Nevada and it had all ready been an hour. A few more to go, she assumed. Hopefully, her paranoia would die down soon and the rest of the Team would be able to calm down her dad, too.

* * *

B.A was following the tracker as best he could.

"The fool's goin' pretty fast, Hannibal." He grumbled.

Face whined. "And in my 'Vette, too!"

The Colonel and the Mechanic ignored the blonde's moaning. "Holly said she lived in Las Vegas, didn't she?" Hannibal asked.

B.A nodded. "Yeah,"

"Then that's where Murdock's headed. Step on it, Sergeant."

"Got it, Colonel."

* * *

Around the two hour mark, Holly had fallen asleep. Murdock watched her from the corner of his eye. For a second, he smiled at the girl snoring quietly with the end of her slouchy beanie nestled in her fingers, but then he remembered why she was here with him. His mouth slid back into the straight line it was before and his mind drifted to revenge.

No, he wasn't a murderer. He didn't get a kick out of killing or hurting people, in fact he got the exact opposite, but he couldn't wait to see that snivelling wretch of a carer, bruised and beaten on the floor. He soon would have a taste of his own medicine.

* * *

**"Where are you, girl? Joe wants you to meet some of his friends."**

Her heart was pounding in her chest as she ran along the corridor. It just seemed to be getting longer and longer, the door to her room, her sanctuary, so very far away. The heavy, uneven footsteps of the drunken man following her were getting louder with each step she took.

Finally, after what seemed like hours of running, she reached the door. Only to find it locked. She rammed against it again and again, painful shocks being sent up and down her shoulder with every desperate attempt to gain entry.

**"I'm coming, Holly." **

The sadistic laughter of the man attacked her eardrums. She found herself covering her ears with her hands as tightly as she possibly could. Sliding down against the door in a mixture of defeat and fear, she tried to scream but only a terrified whimper escaped her lips.

**"Holly,"**

"No.."

**"Holly, wake up-"**

"Get away..."

**"Holly!"**

"GET AWAY!"

Her eyelids flew open. Panting, she tried to focus on her surroundings and looked around. The familiar sight of her hometown greeted her. She didn't know whether she was happy about that or not.

Sinking back into her seat, she finally looked at Murdock. The burning fury that was previously in his eyes was gone, replaced by pure worry and concern.

"Are you all right?" He asked softly, immediately soothing her rapid heartbeat.

She barely managed to nod and adjusted her hat with trembling hands.

"You were asleep for quite a while," he said, stopping at some traffic lights.

"Sorry," mumbled Holly.

"It's fine." After a moment of quiet, Murdock spoke up again. "Where's your address, Darlin'?"

"Um... Melbrooke Road. It's quite close, just keep going straight." She answered nervously. She wanted ask why he wanted it, but didn't want to get on the bad side of his temper.

After five minutes of silent driving, Holly directed him. "Just turn right, here."

The road was empty, no other people in sight, which was quite convenient for him. The houses were shanty and small. It almost looked like a ghetto area.

"House number?" The Captain asked.

"59," she said timidly.

He pulled up at a particularly old-looking, worn out house and parked the 'Vette. He was just about to get out of the car, when Holly finally asked the question that had been plaguing her mind all afternoon.

"What are we doing here?"

"I need to have a talk with Joe-"

"What are you going to do? It doesn't look like you just want to _talk_."

He groaned loudly in frustration, not bothering to reply, and hastily hopped over the car door. Walking up the pathway, he heard Holly's footsteps chasing him from behind. She stood in front of the door, blocking the entrance.

"Tell me what you're going to do, Murdock." She ordered.

The Pilot could feel anger bubbling up inside him again. "Get out of the way."

She wouldn't move, even after him begging and pleading.

Finally, as a last resort, he grabbed her shoulders and shoved her out of the way. Holly tumbled to the ground, staring back at him in shock.

Murdock pounded on the door. "Let me in, Joe!" He yelled.

No answer.

His fury level had risen to about his neck, now. He rattled the door knob and slammed against it, finally kicking it in and crashing into the house.

It was dark and tiny. The putrid stench of alcohol wafted into his nose. The lack of light made it hard to see, but he just about made out the shape of a snoring man asleep on the couch in the living room. He crept towards it.

The man was of average height, maybe a little smaller, with a grey goatee and a noticeable beer belly. He was muttering things in his sleep.

"...Mmmm, come 'ere, Hol... give.. Joe a... kiss..."

Murdock saw red.

With a ear-piercing howl, the Captain hammered down his fists on the sleeping man's stomach, causing him to wake up suddenly. Murdock dragged him by his long, greasy hair into the hallway, Joe kicking and screaming with him.

* * *

"Murdock's stopped, Hannibal. We're almost there."

"I hope he hasn't went completely berserk on the guy." Face said anxiously.

"Me too, Face, but I have a feeling he has. Be prepared for anything, men." Warned the Colonel, as they turned up Melbrooke Road and looked out for Face's 'Vette.

They spied it parked up clumsily at an old, ram-shackle house. Quickly they got out and ran to the entrance, almost completely missing Holly sitting next to the 'Vette; she seemed to be crying.

B.A was torn between going in to stop Murdock or comforting Holly, but the manic screaming coming from the building had him all ready sprinting inside.

B.A, Face and Hannibal each entered hastily and grimaced at the smell of strong beer all at the same time.

Murdock had Joe in a choke hold, tightening his grip even more when he saw his Team enter. Joe's face was starting to hold a tinge of purple to it and he was desperately gasping for air like a fish on dry land. He all ready had bruising starting to appear around his right eye and blood was trickling down from his nostrils.

"Captain!" Hannibal barked, causing Murdock to press his arm harder around the man's throat.

"Don' come near, Han'bal," Murdock warned, his Texas drawl a lot more noticeable now. "This is between me an' 'im."

Face and B.A were all ready starting to close in on the Pilot.

"I said don' come any closer!" Murdock boomed, his lip flaring in indignation and brown eye twitching wildly.

The loud gurgle that escaped Joe's throat told the three men that he was teetering on the edge of death. Immediately, they sprung into action.

B.A and Face pounced onto Murdock, with the Pilot flailing his legs this way and that. He managed to deliver a swift kick to Joe's head, rendering him unconscious, before the Mechanic peeled his arm off Joe's neck.

_This scrawny fool's a lot stronger than I thought._

By this point, Murdock was screaming hysterically at the top of his lungs. The Sergeant and Lieutenant were having a difficult time trying to contain the struggling Captain. He bucked, twisted and tried to wriggle out of their hold with relentless energy.

"Lemme go!" He shrieked, elbowing B.A in the jaw.

The mechanic grunted in surprise and put all of his weight on Murdock's torso so as to restrain him. Face held down his long, flailing legs.

The Pilot's frenzied screams soon died down to short, choked sobs. He was still trying to escape, but his movements were a lot more slow and uncoordinated now; he had used all of his energy fighting Face and B.A.

"S-So... tired..." He whispered, closing his half-lidded eyes all the way.

B.A and Face still remained holding him down just in case, as Hannibal checked Joe's pulse.

"He's alive," the Colonel said grimly. "But only just."

* * *

**(A/N): So, how was that? Good? Bad? Leave me a review telling me what you thought!**


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